Radar detectors have a ready market and are therefore especially vulnerable to theft, as they are visible from the outside of a vehicle. Even though a vehicle is locked thieves are often inclined to risk breaking the window of the vehicle in order to gain access for stealing radar detectors. In the case of vans, motor homes and recreational vehicles, an apparatus which is automatically operable for concealing the radar detector, automatic upon and responsive to cessation of the operation of any system of the vehicle, would be of special interest particularly from a novelty standpoint. Such apparatus would also be specifically directed to trucks, although such may also be utilized in automotive vehicles as in an alternate form of the invention illustrated herein or in some other external inner surface of the vehicle. Such may even be a part of and concealed within a sun visor.
Radar detectors have been deployed beneath a vehicle as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,346,774. Other structures which depend from and are concealed adjacent the roof of a vehicle are illustrated as in U.S. Pat. No. 1,964,339.
Accordingly, it is an important object of the invention to provide an apparatus which is automatically operable to conceal a radar detector as between the roof and exposed inner surface of the vehicle to avoid exposure to view from outside the vehicle.
Another important object of the invention is to provide a novel device which may be deployed automatically upon starting of an automotive vehicle and retracted upon cessation of operation.